Carnival Ride
by PrincessBellePrinceAdam
Summary: xOperation Overdrivex The gang heads to the local carnival...and who's that on the Tunnel of Love?


**Carnival Ride**

"Please?"

"Yes."

"Really?"

"No."

Mack pouted. "Oh come on, Rose. Why won't you let yourself have a good time for once? You never enjoy yourself. You never do anything fun with the rest of the team. Even Will is excited."

"That's just because he's going to be flirting with Ronny all night. I'd really rather stay here and catch up on some reading. Don't ask me anymore, please." Her brown eyes were narrowed at her red ranger. Mack stared back at her, determined.

"I'll give you a cookie."

Rose snorted. "No, Mack. I'm not going."

"Cupcake? Muffin? Pie?"

"Let me rephrase that: I'm not going no matter what kind of sugary substance you might offer me. Understand?" Rose nodded to reaffirm this and tried to walk past Mack to the stairs. He had no part of this. His arms shot out on either side of her, trapping her against the globe.

"You're scared."

"I'm not scared."

"Yes you are. You're scared that someone is going to get past your smart girl façade and that you'll get attached to something other than your laptop."

"That's not true," Rose scoffed. "Where do you even get off saying that, Mackenzie Hartford? You don't know the first thing about me."

"I know that you're scared." Mack raised a hand to her face, cupping it gently. "Please, Rose?"

His touch, tender and gentle as it was, sent shivers down her spine. Her breath caught in her throat. "Will you leave me alone?"

"Yes…for at least one week," Mack answered with his cheeky grin. "And I promise we'll ditch the others if and when they start getting irritating. It'll be fun."

"Then I'll go. What time are we leaving?"

"Ronny said we should wait until all the kids are going home, so about eight. See you then." He looked at her for a moment, wondering if it would be OK to do what he wanted to do. Mack leaned in and kissed her cheek.

As he walked out of the base, Rose pressed a fingertip to the spot his lips had touched. She smiled.

--

"And we have a winner!"

Mack flashed Rose a huge smile as the carnival worker pulled out prizes for him to choose from. "That one." The still grinning red ranger handed his prize over to Rose.

She blushed and smiled, turning over the pink teddy bear in her tiny hands. "Thanks. That's really…sweet of you."

"Get a room," Ronny snapped, childishly stamping her foot. "I want to go race the bumper cars and I'm stuck here watching you two flirt."

"I'm with you, Ron," Will spoke up. "Let's go. We'll catch up with you guys later." He led Ronny away, one arm casually wrapping itself around her waist.

"What are you guys up for?" Mack asked his three remaining teammates. "We could go on the Ferris wheel, or give the dunk booth a whirl…"

"I'm starving," Dax announced. "The best thing about carnivals is their food. I'm going to eat as many corndogs as I can. Catch up later."

"How about you, Tyzonn?" Rose asked. "Is there anything you want to do? This is your first earth carnival."

Mack frowned slightly as he watched the two talk. He'd never taken kindly to the relationship the Mercury ranger had with Rose. How come Tyzonn could bring Rose out of her shell? Why did it seem like no matter what he did, Rose always ended up with Tyzonn?

"I know what we can do," Mack said suddenly. He seized Rose's hand and pulled her after him. He heard Rose demand to know what he was doing and saw Tyzonn's confused face from over his shoulder, but none of it mattered.

An unfamiliar voice broke out over the speakers as Mack and Rose reached their destination. "It's the Tunnel of Love, folks. Slip you arms around your lady and enjoy the ride."

"Mackenzie Hartford, what do you think you're doing? I refuse to go on the Tunnel of Love. Let me go." Rose was glaring as she tried to pull away.

"It's our turn now, Rosie."

"Don't call me that," Rose snapped. "Let me go."

"You promised."

"I never promised to go on a cheesy couples' ride with you. Let me go."

But Mack, considerably stronger than Rose, tugged her after him. "Ladies first," he said, gesturing to the swan-shaped boat. Rose, glaring, got in. He joined her a moment later. "This isn't so bad now, it is?"

"It's cold in here, and this water is filthy. I am going to kill you."

But Mack hadn't heard anything after Rose had said she was cold. He shrugged off his jacket and put it over her shoulders. "Better?"

"Thank you," Rose said softly. "That's really nice of you, to look out for me. I know I don't always act so nicely, but I know you care about me." She smiled at him shyly and then remembered that she was angry. "But I'm still going to kill you."

Mack slipped his arm around her waist. "No you're not." He smiled that infuriating smile. Still holding her, Mack leaned down and kissed the top of her head. "You love me."

Rose was suddenly breathless. "I most certainly do not love you, Mackenzie Hartford. Why on earth would you say something so ridiculous?"

He reached out and cupped her face in his hand like he'd done earlier that day. He leaned in and pressed the softest possible kiss to her lips. "I love you too, Rose."

When the ride was over, he helped her out of the boat. "Thanks," Rose mumbled. She walked swiftly past him. Mack frowned and ran after the pink ranger. "What do you want?" she demanded when he caught her arm.

"I-I'm sorry. I shouldn't have kissed you and I shouldn't have told you what I did when I did because I-I had everything perfectly figured out. It was supposed to be so different… But when I saw you with Tyzonn I was so, so jealous…"

Rose gave him the biggest smile he'd ever seen on her face before throwing her arms around him in a huge hug. "I know you were."

Mack looked down at her in confusion on his face. "But I thought you were mad at me."

"No. You were trying to be romantic and sweet, and I could never be mad at you for that." She grabbed his face and kissed him, much less polite than their first kiss had been.

"So, you up for another round?" Mack asked, gesturing to the Tunnel of Love.

"Only with you," Rose said before taking Mack's hand and leading him back to the carnival ride.


End file.
